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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynes » Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae) » Hogna » Hogna aspersa
Photo#52321
Funnel web or trap door spider? - Hogna aspersa
Copyright © 2006 DaveS

Funnel web or trap door spider? - Hogna aspersa
Owings Mills, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA
May 13, 2006
Size: 1 to 1.5 inches?
This spider has just dug a neat tunnel under the steps leading to our house - tunnel diameter about 1.5 inches, slightly more oval than round. The tunnel looks likes its built from mud and a little bit of webbing, but there really isn't a lot of web to be seen. The spider hangs out by the entrance to its tunnel, then scurries back inside when it sense movement (both by sight and by ground vibration?). Very handsome, impressive spider --- any ideas of what it is? I was thinking some sort of trap door spider (but there is no trap door), the other suggestion family members have is a funnel web. I'd love to know exactly what we have!

Cheers, Dave

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Funnel web or trap door spider? - Hogna aspersa Funnel web or trap door spider? - Hogna aspersa
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Contributed by DaveS on 14 May, 2006 - 9:38pm
Last updated 15 September, 2007 - 10:10pm

Moved
Moved from Hogna.
… Jeff Hollenbeck, 15 September, 2007 - 10:10pm login or register to post comments

aspersa
Can anyone fill in some life history details on this beautiful spider?

I found one in our lawn a few days ago, and put a circle of hardware cloth around the site to protect it from skunks. We had another many years ago that was dug up overnight by a critter (I assume a skunk) before we could document it. I've asked our son to come over and photograph her for permanent documentation, so a photo should be available soon. Ours is female and looks a bit lighter in color.

I've been on many hunts for terricola on Cape Cod with my father (Dr. Robert Edwards), and for a time I kept a record of a colony of burrowing beach spiders (Island Beach State Park, NJ) when my husband and I went fishing.

I love the burrowing spiders.
… Carol Senske, 9 September, 2007 - 12:21pm login or register to post comments

Nice
images. I would say you have a Hogna species.
… Jeff Hollenbeck, 14 May, 2006 - 9:47pm login or register to post comments

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